Beijing deployed several warships, cutters and a bomber combat patrol escorted by fighters to Scarborough Shoal in a show of force against Philippine and American forces at the disputed South China Sea maritime feature.

China accused the Philippines of provoking a confrontation in the South China Sea after an incident last week that left Filipino fishermen injured, reviving tensions in the long-disputed waters.

The Philippine coast guard said on Saturday that three Filipino fishermen had been wounded and two fishing vessels suffered "significant damage" when Chinese coast guard

In December 2024, China launched its first new-generation Type 076 amphibious assault ship, CNS Sichuan. Unlike the Hainan, the advanced Sichuan is equipped with a catapult system that supports flight operations by fixed-wing aircraft in a similar way to an aircraft carrier.

The USNS Cesar Chavez rescued three Filipino fishermen who survived four days on rationed food and water after heavy seas flooded their engine and left them adrift.

Tensions are flaring again in the South China Sea and this time, Filipino fishing crews were caught in the middle. The Philippine coast guard says three fishermen were hurt and two boats badly damaged after Chinese coast guard ships blasted them with water cannon near Sabina Shoal on Dec 12.

Another major expectation for China's naval development in 2026 is the continuous buildup of landing capability, which will include further integration of landing barges and the use of civilian vessels in amphibious exercises, according to Luck and Shugart.

Deepening political feuds, ex-president Duterte’s ICC arrest and the South China Sea dispute have reshaped the Philippine landscape.

China has opened a new shopping centre on Woody Island in the disputed Paracel Islands, bolstering its civilian presence on the strategically vital Sea outpost. The Sansha City Commercial Centre opened to business on Thursday,

Despite the 2016 Arbitral Award invalidating China’s vast maritime claims in the South China Sea, the Chinese embassy in Manila again urged the Philippines to accept the supposed reality that Manila and Beijing have overlapping maritime claims and should resolve the issue.

Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 265 conducts flight operations aboard the America-class amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7), in the South China Sea, Dec. 12, 2025. Tripoli, the flagship of the Tripoli Expeditionary Strike Group,